The Ministry of Agriculture and Plantation Industries implemented a project to cultivate maize for animal feed using the land of the Polonnaruwa Kandakadu Farm belonging to the National Livestock Development Board.
But for this purpose, as well as giving the environmental assessment report, there is an elephant pass in a part of the farm, and there are places with archaeological values in some places.
The Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries, Mr. Mahinda Amaraweera, instructed the National Livestock Development Board to prepare an environmental assessment report regarding the Kandakadu Farm Plantation Project by drawing attention to these facts.
Accordingly, the environmental assessment report prepared by the National Livestock Development Board using a panel of experts was recently (17) by the chairman of that panel, Professor H. A. Cyril handed over to the Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industry, Mr. Mahinda Amaraweera.
A discussion on this was held recently (17) in the Ministry of Agriculture. The discussion was chaired by the Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries, Mr. Mahinda Amaraweera, and the officials of the Ministries of Land, Mahaweli, as well as the officials of the NLDB, and the farmers participating in the cultivation of maize in the Kandakadu farm also participated.
According to this report, it has been decided to maintain the parts reserved for wild elephants and places of archaeological value as they are, and not to use those areas for cultivation. Also, this environmental report has given necessary approval for the cultivation of maize without any environmental damage.
The minister who expressed his opinion advised to start the cultivation of maize immediately by utilizing the land of this farm.
All the problems are over now. According to the instructions given in the environmental assessment report, steps should be taken to start cultivation. We use the harvest of this maize crop for animal feed. One of the reasons for the increase in the price of milk, eggs and poultry in the past was the shortage of animal feed and the increase in prices. But if we grow the amount of maize we need, there is no problem. Therefore, the minister also said to start maize cultivation in the yala season without delay.
Here, the chairman of the National Livestock Development Board, Professor H.A. Mr. Cyril handed over the Environment Impact Assessment Report proposed Agricultural Development project Kandakaduwa to the Minister.
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